Trump rejects Iran's Strait of Hormuz proposal, Tehran holds firm on its conditions

Iran holds its ground

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that his country's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain unchanged. "Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the strait depends on those conditions being met. We will not go back on them," he was quoted as saying by state television. He added that Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy or negotiations, but has also never given up its rights.

Trump: 'They are losing badly'

On Friday, Iran announced it had submitted a proposal to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days of acceptance. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the proposal had been drawn up "in coordination" with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and that a six-member team with decision-making authority had been set up. On Saturday, however, Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House: "I reject their proposal," claiming Iran's leadership wanted the deal because "they are losing badly." Shortly before announcing the rejection, Trump had posted a map of the Strait of Hormuz on Truth Social labelled "Trump Strait." Iran did not entirely close the door to talks, however — Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting mediators' final positions before making a decision.

Collapse of the June agreement

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas flowed before the war, is at the heart of the conflict launched by the US and Israel against Iran in late February. Since then Iran has claimed control of the strait, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response. A protocol signed in June envisaged an immediate halt to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, the release of Iranian assets frozen since the 1979 revolution, and the lifting of US sanctions — but it collapsed over disputes regarding passage conditions through the strait.

Possible resumption of strikes and the Yemen front

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump is considering resuming bombing of Iran after the 3 November midterm elections, though the paper notes it is impossible to say how extensive any strikes would be — some US officials are reportedly wary of resuming "major" operations, wanting to conserve dwindling munitions for other contingencies. The US has not struck Iranian territory since 1 September, when a series of attacks, including one on a wedding in southeastern Iran, killed five people and wounded dozens, although ships have since been hit in the strait. As reported only by Sud Ouest, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, told the UN General Assembly that regional stability was directly tied to global energy security and criticized the international community's "failures." Adding to the tension, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have been consolidating control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait, another key oil export route, since launching an offensive in September.